Injured defenseman Sami Vatanen said he won’t join the Ducks on their quick one-game jaunt to Colorado but that will give him added days to potentially target a possible return during home games against Buffalo and Montreal next week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

ANAHEIM — Sami Vatanen has had a choice seat when it comes to watching the Ducks work with that they’ve got and what they don’t.

Who they’re starting to get back is what he feels will make a major difference.

“It’s a good sign that everybody starts to be healthy a little bit at a time so we can just do our things and go win some games,” said Vatanen, who himself is getting close to game duty after a full recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.

The Ducks are starting to look like the team they anticipated having when they gathered in the middle of September. Ryan Getzlaf made his season debut Sunday after missing time due to a lower-body injury and Patrick Eaves joined in for his first Wednesday when the Ducks took on the New York Islanders.

Eaves missed the entire exhibition schedule with a lower-body injury that left him disappointed in being very limited throughout training camp. Having the winger back not only gives the Ducks a complete top line with Getzlaf and Corey Perry but adds a veteran with power-play acumen down low.

“I felt great coming into camp,” Eaves said. “Things happen. It doesn’t go as you planned. Mentally, it was a little frustrating but we’re at the end of it. So it’s good now.”

As far as available personnel, the Ducks are still not all the way there. The forward lineup continues to lack in depth as Nick Ritchie missed a third consecutive game with a lower-body injury while Ondrej Kase sat out Wednesday as he deals with a head injury suffered Monday when checked by Calgary’s Dougie Hamilton.

But the defense corps figures to be at full strength before the end of October. Vatanen said he won’t join the Ducks on their quick one-game jaunt to Colorado but that will give him added days to potentially target home games against Buffalo and Montreal next week.

Lindholm is in a similar position with his recovery and if next week remains a bit soon, it is all but certain that he and Vatanen will return to the blue line for the Ducks’ first significant trip in two weeks. Barring any setbacks, the two will beat the Nov. 1 return date that Ducks general manager Bob Murray stated at the start of camp.

“Of course, we have a good team here who’s taking care of us to tell us what to do and take it easy,” Vatanen said. “That’s the main thing. You can’t rush it too hard right now when it’s a long season ahead of us. We both want to be healthy when the playoff starts.”

Lindholm is also being patient.

“We want everyone back as soon as possible,” he said. “But obviously when guys come back, you want to be healthy and be able to play all year. Me and Sami, we just try to work to get to that point where we can get in and help the team win hockey games.”

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle knew back in the early part of summer that his team would be shorthanded to open the season. He isn’t asking for sympathy. Nor is he expecting any.

“We’re not any different than any other team,” Carlyle said. “Everybody has to deal with injuries through the course of the season. We know that’s going to happen. We know that’s part of the reality in the NHL.

“For us, it happened right out of the gate. We’ve missed two very important defensemen and a big-time center in our lineup. But, again, other people now have an opportunity. When somebody isn’t available to you, other people get an opportunity to be elevated in the lineup or come into the lineup.”

MIDDLE MAN

Three games are a very small sample size and that holds true for Rickard Rakell as he adjusts back to being a full-time center. Rakell is logging lots of ice time – he’s averaging 22 minutes compared to 17-plus last season – and had a three-point game in the season opener.

Those were his only points until scoring in the second period Wednesday night. Asked to offer an early critique of Rakell’s play in the middle, Carlyle came back with mixed feelings.

“I would say that he’s still a work in progress,” Carlyle said. “Raks shows that in some situations how dynamic he can be and in other situations, I think there’s still a learning curve to be around the puck more and be stronger on it in certain situations.”

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